I went to a youth Mass tonight. Both lectors were teenagers. Both did a good job at reading. The young lady was dressed to the nines, looking very professional. The young man was dressed in jeans and a t-shirt that was hanging out of his waistband.
Over the past few weeks, as free time lets me, I have been looking at regulations and rules for lectors from Catholic parishes all over the country. I've perused their training manuals and websites looking for commonalities and some spark that will get my butt in gear to begin to develop a training program that will truly help train lectors in the technical aspects of our ministry. One thing that keeps popping up is dress codes. I really wasn't sure why until tonight.
One person in the know told me after Mass that the lectors for that Mass are told to not wear t-shirts, to look good when they are reading. After all, they do represent the congregation and need to present themselves as professionals fulfilling a ministry. How would we react if a priest showed up to say Mass in shorts and a t-shirt? How would we feel if a priest wore white athletic shoes and jeans to perform a baptism. Clothing is important and somehow America's Catholic parish are having a hard time getting many lectors to not only believe this, but live it.
In the last parish where I was the lector trainer, the pastor had a hard rule - no jeans, no shorts, no t-shirts, no tank tops, no flip flop sandals, no athletic shoes, PERIOD!!! If a lector showed up and checked in wearing one or more of these, then he or she was asked to not read that day and told why, by whichever priest or deacon was at that Mass. Extraordinary ministers of Holy Communion and ushers were given the same rules and had to adhere to them. The only exception I ever saw was a pregnant lector who told the pastor that she had to wear flip flops because she couldn't see her feet to put on her shoes. That rang true with the pastor, as it should have, and he told her it was not a problem in her case.
I know a lector who told me that her only summer shoes are flip flop sandals. I didn't know how to reply to that and I still don't. Hmmmmmm.
If you go to a job interview in a t-shirt and jeans, then you won't get that job. If you go to a funeral in the same attire, everyone present will give you dirty looks and someone will inevitably tell you what the problem is. If I went to an interview with God, I'd sure dress up, wouldn't you? That is exactly what is happening each time we serve at Mass, as lectors or in another capacity. So why do some lectors dress so abominably?
I am not sure what the answer is to the age old dilemma of how to get lectors to dress nicely when reading. But I know that something has to be done somewhere. Maybe the U.S. bishops need to insert something appropriate in a future liturgical document? Maybe my diocese needs to?
Sunday, August 5, 2012
Saturday, August 4, 2012
What Is A Lector, Part Two (GIL Section 55)
To continue our discussion and analysis of the General Introduction to the Lectionary (2nd Edition), let's look at a second section that speaks specifically to and of lectors:
55. "It is necessary that those who exercise the ministry of reader, even if they have not received institution, be truly suited and carefully prepared, so that the faithful may develop a warm and living love for Sacred Scripture from listening to the sacred readings." Their preparation must above all be spiritual, but what may be called a technical preparation is also needed. The spiritual preparation presupposes at least a biblical and liturgical formation. The purpose of their biblical formation is to give readers the ability to understand the readings in context and to perceive by the light of faith the central point of the revealed message. The liturgical formation ought to equip the readers to have some grasp of the meaning and structure of the liturgy of the word and of the significance of its connection with the liturgy of the Eucharist. The technical preparation should make the readers more skilled in the art of reading publicly, either with the power of their own voice or with the help of sound equipment.
Let's first make a distinction so we can move on. Men preparing for the permanent diaconate or priesthood are instituted a reader two years before ordination to the diaconate. We are specifically speaking here of lay lectors, but instituted readers are also a part of our ministry.
This section tells us that we need to have spiritual, liturgical, and technical preparation for our ministry.
Spiritual Preparation
In years past (the past 25 years!) I thought I could get away with the spiritual preparation by practicing my readings and reading the Scripture immediately before and after what I was supposed to read at Mass.
Then, in the past month, I have joined a Bible study specifically geared to studying the readings for the coming Sunday. What I have discovered has been a revelation of high proportions. I have found that when I read and study and discuss the readings for EVERY week, when it is my time to read, I know the Scripture well enough to understand not just what it says, but what it means. Now that our Sunday Gospels are all from John chapter 6, this becomes even more important. And I am seeing connections between all three readings and the psalm that I have never seen before.
I have previously given a small prayer I use before reading to those lectors I coordinate. I'm not sure how many of them do something similar. But prayer is a big part of this. A lector gets an ego boost, an emotional "high" from reading at Mass. After all, for a few minutes, every person in the congregation is paying attention to the lector. What a rush! But prayer before reading, as well as throughout the week before, can make the lector want to concentrate more on the reading that is done and less on being noticed. In fact, my prayer is that I won't be noticed, that after I am finished the congregation will remember what I read but won't remember who read it. I think that is important to keeping my ego in check and, I assume, other readers might be in the same boat.
Liturgical Preparation
How do we get a liturgical formation? This comes, I'm afraid, from training. Lectors need periodic training in order to better understand the liturgy. How many lectors have I talked to over the years who think that the Liturgy of the Word is the boring part that leads up to the good part (the Liturgy of the Eucharist)? A lot, actually. The Liturgy of the Word, however, is a near mirror image to the synagogue service of the ancient Jews, and Jesus himself got up and read to the synagogue, so it must be important. Right?
Liturgical formation comes through explanation about the Liturgy of the Word. When a lector realizes its importance, then the Liturgy of the Word comes alive and the movements of the liturgy are made clear.
Technical Preparation
Sometimes, this flow of the liturgy is interrupted when a lector does something that is "not normal." In previous parishes I have been a member of, the lectors sat right in front of the ambo. But in some parishes, the lectors sit all over the congregation. Sometimes, they sit as far from the ambo as is possible, meaning that when they come forward to read, the lector takes almost three minutes to get to the ambo. During this time, the congregation pays attention only to the lector, but loses its focus from the penitential rite and opening prayer to become lost in their kids' behavior, the hairpiece of the man in front of them, or the sounds in the church. Instead, a lector should sit as close to the ambo as possible and NOT interrupt the flow of the liturgical movement.
Likewise, if a lector wants to be a lector, they need to be able to be loud enough when reading to be heard. So many lectors, especially the unprepared, don't read loud enough. This is due to a lack of confidence in their abilities and a lack of experience in reading. If you've never read before, then when you are the lector, you never know if you are loud enough. You need someone to tell you. That comes from practice in front of a trainer.
Ongoing formation (we discussed this in another post) is important to the lector. We find that in section 55 of the General Introduction to the Lectionary (2nd Edition) that preparation takes three forms. Each lector is responsible for making sure they receive all three types of preparation. It will be a little bit of work, some time taken away from the television or the family, but the lector's service to the parish will be heightened by this preparation.
55. "It is necessary that those who exercise the ministry of reader, even if they have not received institution, be truly suited and carefully prepared, so that the faithful may develop a warm and living love for Sacred Scripture from listening to the sacred readings." Their preparation must above all be spiritual, but what may be called a technical preparation is also needed. The spiritual preparation presupposes at least a biblical and liturgical formation. The purpose of their biblical formation is to give readers the ability to understand the readings in context and to perceive by the light of faith the central point of the revealed message. The liturgical formation ought to equip the readers to have some grasp of the meaning and structure of the liturgy of the word and of the significance of its connection with the liturgy of the Eucharist. The technical preparation should make the readers more skilled in the art of reading publicly, either with the power of their own voice or with the help of sound equipment.
Let's first make a distinction so we can move on. Men preparing for the permanent diaconate or priesthood are instituted a reader two years before ordination to the diaconate. We are specifically speaking here of lay lectors, but instituted readers are also a part of our ministry.
This section tells us that we need to have spiritual, liturgical, and technical preparation for our ministry.
Spiritual Preparation
In years past (the past 25 years!) I thought I could get away with the spiritual preparation by practicing my readings and reading the Scripture immediately before and after what I was supposed to read at Mass.
Then, in the past month, I have joined a Bible study specifically geared to studying the readings for the coming Sunday. What I have discovered has been a revelation of high proportions. I have found that when I read and study and discuss the readings for EVERY week, when it is my time to read, I know the Scripture well enough to understand not just what it says, but what it means. Now that our Sunday Gospels are all from John chapter 6, this becomes even more important. And I am seeing connections between all three readings and the psalm that I have never seen before.
I have previously given a small prayer I use before reading to those lectors I coordinate. I'm not sure how many of them do something similar. But prayer is a big part of this. A lector gets an ego boost, an emotional "high" from reading at Mass. After all, for a few minutes, every person in the congregation is paying attention to the lector. What a rush! But prayer before reading, as well as throughout the week before, can make the lector want to concentrate more on the reading that is done and less on being noticed. In fact, my prayer is that I won't be noticed, that after I am finished the congregation will remember what I read but won't remember who read it. I think that is important to keeping my ego in check and, I assume, other readers might be in the same boat.
Liturgical Preparation
How do we get a liturgical formation? This comes, I'm afraid, from training. Lectors need periodic training in order to better understand the liturgy. How many lectors have I talked to over the years who think that the Liturgy of the Word is the boring part that leads up to the good part (the Liturgy of the Eucharist)? A lot, actually. The Liturgy of the Word, however, is a near mirror image to the synagogue service of the ancient Jews, and Jesus himself got up and read to the synagogue, so it must be important. Right?
Liturgical formation comes through explanation about the Liturgy of the Word. When a lector realizes its importance, then the Liturgy of the Word comes alive and the movements of the liturgy are made clear.
Technical Preparation
Sometimes, this flow of the liturgy is interrupted when a lector does something that is "not normal." In previous parishes I have been a member of, the lectors sat right in front of the ambo. But in some parishes, the lectors sit all over the congregation. Sometimes, they sit as far from the ambo as is possible, meaning that when they come forward to read, the lector takes almost three minutes to get to the ambo. During this time, the congregation pays attention only to the lector, but loses its focus from the penitential rite and opening prayer to become lost in their kids' behavior, the hairpiece of the man in front of them, or the sounds in the church. Instead, a lector should sit as close to the ambo as possible and NOT interrupt the flow of the liturgical movement.
Likewise, if a lector wants to be a lector, they need to be able to be loud enough when reading to be heard. So many lectors, especially the unprepared, don't read loud enough. This is due to a lack of confidence in their abilities and a lack of experience in reading. If you've never read before, then when you are the lector, you never know if you are loud enough. You need someone to tell you. That comes from practice in front of a trainer.
Ongoing formation (we discussed this in another post) is important to the lector. We find that in section 55 of the General Introduction to the Lectionary (2nd Edition) that preparation takes three forms. Each lector is responsible for making sure they receive all three types of preparation. It will be a little bit of work, some time taken away from the television or the family, but the lector's service to the parish will be heightened by this preparation.
Tuesday, July 31, 2012
What Is a Lector, Part One (GIL Section 14)
I will now begin a periodic examination of the General Introduction to the Lectionary (2nd Edition), abbreviated from now on as GIL.
The first mention of the lector (reader) in the GIL is the following:
14. A speaking style on the part of the readers that is audible, clear, and intelligent is the first means of transmitting the word of God properly to the congregation.
Let's take these requirements one at a time:
AUDIBILITY - The lector must speak loud enough for the congregation to hear the words. Lectors worldwide sometimes have problems with loudness. Some don't speak loudly, in the first place, so trying to get them to speak loudly when reading at the ambo is difficult. Most times, however, I think it is just the fact that no one is brave enough to tell them that they don't speak loud enough.
Adequate preparation can instill confidence in a lector. If a lector first learns the words of the reading through silent recitation, then moves on to practice time and again the reading while reading out loud, mere familiarity with the reading will bring a confidant tonation that can easily be increased in volume. When a lector understands what words come next in their recitation, then they can become louder as the situation dictates.
If fear can be conquered through preparation, it is a wonder to me why more lectors don't practice, practice, practice!!!
CLARITY - As section 14 tells us, a lector must be a good speaker. That is a prerequisite for service in this ministry. Over the years that I have been a lector, and even before, I have heard many lectors with strong accents foreign to the place they are reading (geographical place, that is) say words in the readings in a way that is unintelligible to the congregation, or at least confuses the people enough that they can't pay attention well to the reading and get stuck on "just what was that word he just said?" In my youth, one of our lectors was from St. Louis and said "Lord" as "lard," which always brought chuckles. She could never understand why.
Because I am from Colorado, a state most foreign intelligence operatives are recruited from because they have no visible accent, I never could understand why this lector did not see the difference in our "real" pronunciation of the word and her own. In times since, I have heard lectors with strong Spanish accents say "Hay-sus" instead of "Jesus" (which is fine in Mexico, but not in an English speaking country) and New Englanders mess up every other word, sometimes. In my current parish, native Tagalog speakers have a hard time with consonants like "J" and "F" and ""L," either over-enunciating them or saying them incorrectly, like the "J" being pronounced like "ZJ." These are, however, faults that CAN be corrected.
We have all heard drunks in our lifetimes slur words, running them together. I've never known a lector to be drunk when reading, but it can sound like this sometimes. The lector just speaks too fast and mumbles some words while stumbling over others. This is due to a fast delivery, often the result of nervous tension or fear of reading. But in my experience, when a person is not clear in their reading because they are speaking too fast, it is because they did no preparation at all for their reading. I saw just such a reading this past week, where an obviously unprepared lector said "loincloth" in such a way that it first sounded like "light clock" and then like "line clout." If a lector does not prepare for their reading, then they falter and make these mistakes that can be simply corrected. When these mistakes are made, the congregation suffers.
Mistakes in clarity can usually be corrected. First, some speech training to relax the muscles of the throat and expand the range of motion of the tongue can temporarily eliminate any accent the lector possesses. Second, simply preparing ahead of time can eliminate the running together of words.
INTELLIGENCE - of course, this requirement isn't saying a lector has to have a certain level of education, or even a specific IQ minimum to be able to read. What this requirement is telling us is that the lector must know the Scripture they are reading. This includes some, yes, PREPARATION!!!
Bible study groups are important ways for a lector to figure out what the reading is saying. Biblical interpretation and exegesis is very difficult, so doing it in groups is beneficial. If a lector can understand what comes before and what comes after their reading, then they will have a leg up. However, that is not enough.
Knowing the type of reading (poem, oracle poem, narrative story, letter, sermon/preaching) is a big help in getting the audibility and clarity down. You don't read a narrative story from Genesis the same way you read a poem from the Song of Songs or a letter from St. Paul. The reading style is different and I think a lot of lectors out there either do not realize this or do but don't prepare enough to see the subtle nuances in how the same word can be emphasized differently in these different types of readings.
The intelligence requirement also takes time to fulfill. The lector has to know just what the reading is saying to the reader, to the good Christian who is sitting in the pew and is being taught by us through our interpretation of the reading. Yes, we interpret for our listeners by emphasizing certain words, slowing down our talk, giving small voice changes to different persons speaking in dialog. But these things can only come about with preparation.
This first section of the GIL that talks about lectors is important because it highlights for us not only the requirements of a good lector, but the requirements of any lector. A lector who is not adequately preparing for a reading is doing a bad service to the congregation they are ministering to. We don't just get up and read because someone needs to, we proclaim because God calls us to do so. And just because we are called by God does not mean that we will be able to be the perfect lector every time without the proper preparation to perform our ministry. We must be audible, clear, and intelligent in our proclamation. Are you?
The first mention of the lector (reader) in the GIL is the following:
14. A speaking style on the part of the readers that is audible, clear, and intelligent is the first means of transmitting the word of God properly to the congregation.
Let's take these requirements one at a time:
AUDIBILITY - The lector must speak loud enough for the congregation to hear the words. Lectors worldwide sometimes have problems with loudness. Some don't speak loudly, in the first place, so trying to get them to speak loudly when reading at the ambo is difficult. Most times, however, I think it is just the fact that no one is brave enough to tell them that they don't speak loud enough.
Adequate preparation can instill confidence in a lector. If a lector first learns the words of the reading through silent recitation, then moves on to practice time and again the reading while reading out loud, mere familiarity with the reading will bring a confidant tonation that can easily be increased in volume. When a lector understands what words come next in their recitation, then they can become louder as the situation dictates.
If fear can be conquered through preparation, it is a wonder to me why more lectors don't practice, practice, practice!!!
CLARITY - As section 14 tells us, a lector must be a good speaker. That is a prerequisite for service in this ministry. Over the years that I have been a lector, and even before, I have heard many lectors with strong accents foreign to the place they are reading (geographical place, that is) say words in the readings in a way that is unintelligible to the congregation, or at least confuses the people enough that they can't pay attention well to the reading and get stuck on "just what was that word he just said?" In my youth, one of our lectors was from St. Louis and said "Lord" as "lard," which always brought chuckles. She could never understand why.
Because I am from Colorado, a state most foreign intelligence operatives are recruited from because they have no visible accent, I never could understand why this lector did not see the difference in our "real" pronunciation of the word and her own. In times since, I have heard lectors with strong Spanish accents say "Hay-sus" instead of "Jesus" (which is fine in Mexico, but not in an English speaking country) and New Englanders mess up every other word, sometimes. In my current parish, native Tagalog speakers have a hard time with consonants like "J" and "F" and ""L," either over-enunciating them or saying them incorrectly, like the "J" being pronounced like "ZJ." These are, however, faults that CAN be corrected.
We have all heard drunks in our lifetimes slur words, running them together. I've never known a lector to be drunk when reading, but it can sound like this sometimes. The lector just speaks too fast and mumbles some words while stumbling over others. This is due to a fast delivery, often the result of nervous tension or fear of reading. But in my experience, when a person is not clear in their reading because they are speaking too fast, it is because they did no preparation at all for their reading. I saw just such a reading this past week, where an obviously unprepared lector said "loincloth" in such a way that it first sounded like "light clock" and then like "line clout." If a lector does not prepare for their reading, then they falter and make these mistakes that can be simply corrected. When these mistakes are made, the congregation suffers.
Mistakes in clarity can usually be corrected. First, some speech training to relax the muscles of the throat and expand the range of motion of the tongue can temporarily eliminate any accent the lector possesses. Second, simply preparing ahead of time can eliminate the running together of words.
INTELLIGENCE - of course, this requirement isn't saying a lector has to have a certain level of education, or even a specific IQ minimum to be able to read. What this requirement is telling us is that the lector must know the Scripture they are reading. This includes some, yes, PREPARATION!!!
Bible study groups are important ways for a lector to figure out what the reading is saying. Biblical interpretation and exegesis is very difficult, so doing it in groups is beneficial. If a lector can understand what comes before and what comes after their reading, then they will have a leg up. However, that is not enough.
Knowing the type of reading (poem, oracle poem, narrative story, letter, sermon/preaching) is a big help in getting the audibility and clarity down. You don't read a narrative story from Genesis the same way you read a poem from the Song of Songs or a letter from St. Paul. The reading style is different and I think a lot of lectors out there either do not realize this or do but don't prepare enough to see the subtle nuances in how the same word can be emphasized differently in these different types of readings.
The intelligence requirement also takes time to fulfill. The lector has to know just what the reading is saying to the reader, to the good Christian who is sitting in the pew and is being taught by us through our interpretation of the reading. Yes, we interpret for our listeners by emphasizing certain words, slowing down our talk, giving small voice changes to different persons speaking in dialog. But these things can only come about with preparation.
This first section of the GIL that talks about lectors is important because it highlights for us not only the requirements of a good lector, but the requirements of any lector. A lector who is not adequately preparing for a reading is doing a bad service to the congregation they are ministering to. We don't just get up and read because someone needs to, we proclaim because God calls us to do so. And just because we are called by God does not mean that we will be able to be the perfect lector every time without the proper preparation to perform our ministry. We must be audible, clear, and intelligent in our proclamation. Are you?
Saturday, July 28, 2012
Lay Lectors In Canon Law
I have recently become re-interested in canon law. As it applies to lectors is this day's post topic.
Caveat: the Church has what are called instituted readers (called instituted lectors in canon law) and commissioned lay lectors. Unfortunately, the Church, for once, is not consistent in calling the instituted minster one thing the commissioned minister another, though the commissioned minister is almost always called a lector. Instituted readers are created by a bishop in a special ceremony; commissioned lectors are commissioned once a year by their parish priest.
Code of Canon Law As It Relates to Lectors (italics are mine)
Caveat: the Church has what are called instituted readers (called instituted lectors in canon law) and commissioned lay lectors. Unfortunately, the Church, for once, is not consistent in calling the instituted minster one thing the commissioned minister another, though the commissioned minister is almost always called a lector. Instituted readers are created by a bishop in a special ceremony; commissioned lectors are commissioned once a year by their parish priest.
Code of Canon Law As It Relates to Lectors (italics are mine)
Can. 230 §3. When the need of the Church warrants it and
ministers are lacking, lay persons, even if they are not lectors or acolytes,
can also supply certain of their duties, namely, to exercise the ministry of
the word, to preside offer liturgical prayers, to confer baptism, and to distribute
Holy Communion, according to the prescripts of the law.
Can. 231 §1. Lay
persons who permanently or temporarily devote themselves to special service of
the Church are obliged to acquire the appropriate formation required to fulfill
their function properly and to carry out this function conscientiously,
eagerly, and diligently.
Okay, so the first section above (Canon 230) talks about lay persons being allowed to exercise the duties of lay lector (commissioned) when an instituted reader is not around. Easy one. The hard one is next:
Canon 231 is very specific about lay persons exercising ministries, including lector, as going through appropriate formation. This is tricky because it could mean simple getting taught the basics of the procedures for reading at one's parish - whether both lectors go up to the ambo at the same time, when to bow or genuflect, what to do with the microphone, to turn the page or not to turn the page.
But I think Canon 231 should be interpreted a bit more strictly to mean that formation is a continual process. Some of the liturgical documents (which I will discuss in future posts) talk about their being a spiritual and Scriptural formation for lectors. I think that is what this means.
The questions that every lector has, though, is what these mean and when are they supposed to take place? That really depends on the parish, I guess. On whether the pastor wants lectors to receive annual or semi-annual training and enrichment for their ministry. On whether someone is available to do so for a parish or not.
Regardless of how much formation is necessary, as discussed in my last post, formation and preparation are not the same thing, though preparation leads one on to formation, something much more spiritual than merely preparing to read Scripture at Mass.
Thursday, July 26, 2012
Preparation or Formation?
During some much needed prayer time recently, I stumbled upon two words that I had never thought were related: preparation and formation. To me, at least before now, I had always thought of them as roughly the same thing. But now I am not so sure.
As a lector, I spend a lot of time preparing to read the reading I am assigned. I first read it silently for a few days, then I look at surrounding Scripture to get the context of the reading. I look at the type of writing (poetry, oracle poetry, letter, speech, contemplation, narrative story). I then begin practicing reading it out loud and I spend a lot of time trying to get it right. That is my preparation.
Unbeknownst to me, since becoming my parish's lector coordinator, I seem to be gravitating toward formation and how it might change me to concentrate more on my place as a lector in my parish. I am pushing myself harder, trying to be better than I can be. But I wonder if I am not making myself change?
For a few months back in 2005, I stopped being a lector for a few months. In "formation speak," I guess, you'd call that taking a sabbatical. I did this because I was finding that when another lector read, I was concentrating on how they read and critiquing them instead of paying attention to the Word of God being proclaimed. I came away from that experience wanting to read again, but to do so for the glory of God, not for the glory of Russell.
It is hard not to critique people. I think that it is human nature, especially in this one - me! But preparation for one reading is not the same as formation toward becoming a better reader overall. Now that I am concentrating on more than me, concentrating on the congregation that I am reading to and making sure that I convey to them what God wants me to convey, I feel a little better about myself as a lector. I am not there for me, I am there for them. That makes me feel good, a rare thing indeed.
So I guess that preparation that leads to formation of the lector is a good thing, as long as it has a positive response in the lector's soul, in the way they act and react to their ministry.
Now I just worry that there is nothing else beyond this.
As a lector, I spend a lot of time preparing to read the reading I am assigned. I first read it silently for a few days, then I look at surrounding Scripture to get the context of the reading. I look at the type of writing (poetry, oracle poetry, letter, speech, contemplation, narrative story). I then begin practicing reading it out loud and I spend a lot of time trying to get it right. That is my preparation.
Unbeknownst to me, since becoming my parish's lector coordinator, I seem to be gravitating toward formation and how it might change me to concentrate more on my place as a lector in my parish. I am pushing myself harder, trying to be better than I can be. But I wonder if I am not making myself change?
For a few months back in 2005, I stopped being a lector for a few months. In "formation speak," I guess, you'd call that taking a sabbatical. I did this because I was finding that when another lector read, I was concentrating on how they read and critiquing them instead of paying attention to the Word of God being proclaimed. I came away from that experience wanting to read again, but to do so for the glory of God, not for the glory of Russell.
It is hard not to critique people. I think that it is human nature, especially in this one - me! But preparation for one reading is not the same as formation toward becoming a better reader overall. Now that I am concentrating on more than me, concentrating on the congregation that I am reading to and making sure that I convey to them what God wants me to convey, I feel a little better about myself as a lector. I am not there for me, I am there for them. That makes me feel good, a rare thing indeed.
So I guess that preparation that leads to formation of the lector is a good thing, as long as it has a positive response in the lector's soul, in the way they act and react to their ministry.
Now I just worry that there is nothing else beyond this.
Saturday, July 21, 2012
Shepherds
I've participated in two Tuesday night Sunday readings Bible study sessions and have gotten a lot out of them. Coupled with the Sunday homily by our pastor (a Scripture scholar himself and former dean of a seminary), I have gotten so much more out of the Sunday readings than ever before. But tonight I got even more than I ever expected.
In our Tuesday group, which I facilitated this past week (way to make the new guy run it!), we talked about a lot of stuff, but somehow didn't spend much time on the shepherds and shepherding found in the readings. But our homily at tonight's vigil Mass was about shepherding and how we all need to recognize when we are the shepherds and do our best to be good ones.
Tonight was also, incidentally, the first time reading for both of our lectors. We had two new lectors and three brand new altar servers. All did wonderful jobs, too! But I got to the thinking: I trained both of these lectors and I'm in charge of scheduling our lectors, finding solutions to small problems that have already arisen (is it because of me and my newness?), and generally being a resource for the lectors I work with. Then it dawned on me and hit me like a rock right between the eyes: DAMN, I'M NOW A SHEPHERD MYSELF, A SHEPHERD OF THESE LECTORS!!! It was like the kick in the ass that God gives me every once in a while because I enter a Jonah phase and tell God "No, I don't want to do it. It will hurt."
Now I recognize that I am in need of a lot of prayer, even more than I do now. I need to focus this new part of my prayer on me, something that is very hard for me to do. I need to ask God to grant me the graces I need to use the skills and talents he has loaned me for the greater good of the lectors in my parish, to prepare me for what is to come in the future in this position, and to give the lectors patience (they will need it, I'm sure).
I have not been blessed with a wife and children, I own no pets of any kind, and I am not leading any other groups right now besides being the lector coordinator at my parish. Now I see I am also the one they look to because both lectors thanked me repeatedly after Mass and both made the comment that they didn't want to embarrass me. Of course, I told them they could never embarrass me, but it struck me as humbling that they thought that that was even something they needed to worry about. Another kick from God? Maybe. Probably. But also a grace, of sorts, one that I need to reflect on more as I go even further into this position. How can I be a better lector coordinator, helping these lectors? What do they need that I can provide or get for them from another source? How do I even go about doing that?
In our Tuesday group, which I facilitated this past week (way to make the new guy run it!), we talked about a lot of stuff, but somehow didn't spend much time on the shepherds and shepherding found in the readings. But our homily at tonight's vigil Mass was about shepherding and how we all need to recognize when we are the shepherds and do our best to be good ones.
Tonight was also, incidentally, the first time reading for both of our lectors. We had two new lectors and three brand new altar servers. All did wonderful jobs, too! But I got to the thinking: I trained both of these lectors and I'm in charge of scheduling our lectors, finding solutions to small problems that have already arisen (is it because of me and my newness?), and generally being a resource for the lectors I work with. Then it dawned on me and hit me like a rock right between the eyes: DAMN, I'M NOW A SHEPHERD MYSELF, A SHEPHERD OF THESE LECTORS!!! It was like the kick in the ass that God gives me every once in a while because I enter a Jonah phase and tell God "No, I don't want to do it. It will hurt."
Now I recognize that I am in need of a lot of prayer, even more than I do now. I need to focus this new part of my prayer on me, something that is very hard for me to do. I need to ask God to grant me the graces I need to use the skills and talents he has loaned me for the greater good of the lectors in my parish, to prepare me for what is to come in the future in this position, and to give the lectors patience (they will need it, I'm sure).
I have not been blessed with a wife and children, I own no pets of any kind, and I am not leading any other groups right now besides being the lector coordinator at my parish. Now I see I am also the one they look to because both lectors thanked me repeatedly after Mass and both made the comment that they didn't want to embarrass me. Of course, I told them they could never embarrass me, but it struck me as humbling that they thought that that was even something they needed to worry about. Another kick from God? Maybe. Probably. But also a grace, of sorts, one that I need to reflect on more as I go even further into this position. How can I be a better lector coordinator, helping these lectors? What do they need that I can provide or get for them from another source? How do I even go about doing that?
Tuesday, July 10, 2012
Studying This Sunday's Readings
First, I recognize that not everyone has the free time I do to concentrate on the lector ministry. I am not married, have no children, no pets, and work from home. I can sleep or eat anytime I choose and am not fixed on a set schedule.
That being said, I still believe it is not only imperative, but necessary for every lector to do weekly or daily reading of the Bible, in particular the upcoming Sunday's readings, and also to spend some time each day in prayer. Both prayer and study (akin, sort of, to St. Benedict's ora et labora) are necessary to become a better lector, I believe.
I put out a call to the lectors at my parish to join me one hour per week in studying the upcoming Sunday readings and got a small number, about six, replying that they would like to do so. Thankfully, one of our deacons has such a group that meets for an hour once a week. I am joining that group and will report here and via email to the lectors about my experiences at the group. Perhaps I can get more to join?
I know it is hard with work and family and life, in general, keeping us from spending time with God in prayer and Scripture study. But it is necessary for every Catholic. It is also doubly necessary for every lector. After one is a lector for five or ten or twenty years, one feels that they "know it all" in regard to being a lector. I think that is why we see few lectors go to any training and enrichment opportunities.
But such prayer and study are important and I am going to continue to encourage lectors at my parish to do so, individually and together.
That being said, I still believe it is not only imperative, but necessary for every lector to do weekly or daily reading of the Bible, in particular the upcoming Sunday's readings, and also to spend some time each day in prayer. Both prayer and study (akin, sort of, to St. Benedict's ora et labora) are necessary to become a better lector, I believe.
I put out a call to the lectors at my parish to join me one hour per week in studying the upcoming Sunday readings and got a small number, about six, replying that they would like to do so. Thankfully, one of our deacons has such a group that meets for an hour once a week. I am joining that group and will report here and via email to the lectors about my experiences at the group. Perhaps I can get more to join?
I know it is hard with work and family and life, in general, keeping us from spending time with God in prayer and Scripture study. But it is necessary for every Catholic. It is also doubly necessary for every lector. After one is a lector for five or ten or twenty years, one feels that they "know it all" in regard to being a lector. I think that is why we see few lectors go to any training and enrichment opportunities.
But such prayer and study are important and I am going to continue to encourage lectors at my parish to do so, individually and together.
Wednesday, June 27, 2012
Are Lector Saints Important?
I have a prayer I say each time before I read at Mass:
Lord, please help me to read my best in order that Your Word is no longer on the page, but instead in the hearts, minds, and souls of those who hear me proclaim. Amen.
It is short, but it helps to center me and defines my role in the lector ministry I perform. I have seen a lot of other prayers out there on the web and I'm sure that each lector has their own prayer they say before reading.
But today I was looking at the list of lector saints I compiled years ago for a short publication that is now available on the website in the right column titled "Lector Saints." I realized that they all lived in the early years of the Church. They are all men and the were all probably preparing to become priests. At a time when few people could read and write, the lector was essential because he read the Word of God to the people and probably, at least in some areas, fulfilled some clerical duties, perhaps legal in nature. But these saints are not, I think, too far back in time and too far removed from the duties of today's lectors to be worthwhile examples for the twenty-first century lector. How are they still relevant? Well:
1. The lector saints had to be familiar with Scripture, not just the passages they read at Mass. Lectors today are supposed to also be familiar with Scripture and know what is going on before and after the passages they read at Mass.
2. The lector saints were respected by the people (remember, most who could not read) and were seen as authorities in teaching these same people what the Scripture meant. Today's lectors are in a similar situation. Few homilies are preached by bishops, priests, or deacons that take into account and explain both readings and Gospel, so it is the lector's job to make sure the correct emphasis is placed on words and phrases, that words are pronounced accurately, and that alliteration, inflection, and other rhetorical devices are adequately used. So preparation for today's lectors is necessary, just as it was for the lector saints.
3. The lector saints saw what they did and who they were as a ministry serving God through service to His people. Today's lectors have the same mandate in the ministry they are called to. A lector must work to be a good lector. Just standing up and reading on Sunday isn't enough. A lector must read the passage they will be proclaiming many times beforehand, spend some time reading before and after that passage in their Bible, and practice proclaiming out loud.
The lector saints, like other saints for other purposes, are examples for today's lectors. We can take their lives and deaths and make them an inspiration for us.
Lord, please help me to read my best in order that Your Word is no longer on the page, but instead in the hearts, minds, and souls of those who hear me proclaim. Amen.
It is short, but it helps to center me and defines my role in the lector ministry I perform. I have seen a lot of other prayers out there on the web and I'm sure that each lector has their own prayer they say before reading.
But today I was looking at the list of lector saints I compiled years ago for a short publication that is now available on the website in the right column titled "Lector Saints." I realized that they all lived in the early years of the Church. They are all men and the were all probably preparing to become priests. At a time when few people could read and write, the lector was essential because he read the Word of God to the people and probably, at least in some areas, fulfilled some clerical duties, perhaps legal in nature. But these saints are not, I think, too far back in time and too far removed from the duties of today's lectors to be worthwhile examples for the twenty-first century lector. How are they still relevant? Well:
1. The lector saints had to be familiar with Scripture, not just the passages they read at Mass. Lectors today are supposed to also be familiar with Scripture and know what is going on before and after the passages they read at Mass.
2. The lector saints were respected by the people (remember, most who could not read) and were seen as authorities in teaching these same people what the Scripture meant. Today's lectors are in a similar situation. Few homilies are preached by bishops, priests, or deacons that take into account and explain both readings and Gospel, so it is the lector's job to make sure the correct emphasis is placed on words and phrases, that words are pronounced accurately, and that alliteration, inflection, and other rhetorical devices are adequately used. So preparation for today's lectors is necessary, just as it was for the lector saints.
3. The lector saints saw what they did and who they were as a ministry serving God through service to His people. Today's lectors have the same mandate in the ministry they are called to. A lector must work to be a good lector. Just standing up and reading on Sunday isn't enough. A lector must read the passage they will be proclaiming many times beforehand, spend some time reading before and after that passage in their Bible, and practice proclaiming out loud.
The lector saints, like other saints for other purposes, are examples for today's lectors. We can take their lives and deaths and make them an inspiration for us.
Tuesday, June 26, 2012
Continuing Faith Formation
Some years ago, I was a lector at a parish in Mississippi. This parish had a lot of small faith communities, groups of five to eight persons who met regularly to discuss their faith and spirituality. I was in one such group and it was quite an experience. I grew so much during that year and a half. My group consisted of four women and three men, married and single, young and old, who met one hour each week. We discussed the readings for the upcoming Sunday Mass and how they played out in our lives.
I recently read two articles somewhere on the web (I didn't bookmark them and now can't find them, but I will!) that both argued that lectors need to be constantly vigilant to improve their spirituality in order to prevent them from becoming automotons that just read from the Lectionary and instead become men and women who proclaim the Word of God in a manner that the Word is no longer on the page in front of the lector, but instead is in the minds, hearts, and souls of the assembly who just heard the lector proclaim.
I like the idea of lectors getting together to assist each other to become better lectors. I know it is very common in parishes of mid- to large sizes for the lectors to not know each other more than just on a "hi, how are you?" basis before or after Mass. At some parishes, the lectors have all been reading at Mass for ten years or more and there is no new lector talent coming up the ranks. Is this because of a stagnancy in the ministry at those parishes? Is the reason why no new lectors are coming forward because there is no dynamic spiritualism in the lector cadre at the parish and potential lectors see this and don't want to become "old fuddy-duddies" like the ones they see week after week at Mass?
I think that spiritual formation is scary. I think that spiritual formation is important. I think as Catholics that we need to recognize that spiritual formation cannot take place by oneself, but must take place in community, especially in small faith communities.
So I took a step forward today and took a risk (something I'm not good at doing) and asked the lectors in my parish if they might want to join me for no more than an hour per week to meet and discuss our ministry, the upcoming Sunday readings, and possibly some work on the Liturgy of the Word, lectors, or whatever. Now I just await any responses.
I recently read two articles somewhere on the web (I didn't bookmark them and now can't find them, but I will!) that both argued that lectors need to be constantly vigilant to improve their spirituality in order to prevent them from becoming automotons that just read from the Lectionary and instead become men and women who proclaim the Word of God in a manner that the Word is no longer on the page in front of the lector, but instead is in the minds, hearts, and souls of the assembly who just heard the lector proclaim.
I like the idea of lectors getting together to assist each other to become better lectors. I know it is very common in parishes of mid- to large sizes for the lectors to not know each other more than just on a "hi, how are you?" basis before or after Mass. At some parishes, the lectors have all been reading at Mass for ten years or more and there is no new lector talent coming up the ranks. Is this because of a stagnancy in the ministry at those parishes? Is the reason why no new lectors are coming forward because there is no dynamic spiritualism in the lector cadre at the parish and potential lectors see this and don't want to become "old fuddy-duddies" like the ones they see week after week at Mass?
I think that spiritual formation is scary. I think that spiritual formation is important. I think as Catholics that we need to recognize that spiritual formation cannot take place by oneself, but must take place in community, especially in small faith communities.
So I took a step forward today and took a risk (something I'm not good at doing) and asked the lectors in my parish if they might want to join me for no more than an hour per week to meet and discuss our ministry, the upcoming Sunday readings, and possibly some work on the Liturgy of the Word, lectors, or whatever. Now I just await any responses.
Saturday, June 23, 2012
Training: Who Needs It? Who Wants It?
In my past, while working with lectors in other parishes in which I participated, I found the idea of training or "enhancement" of lectors something no current lector wanted to do. They knew what to do and they did it their own way. Now that I am more mature and have been gifted this new lector coordinator position through the grace of God, I want to find a way to bring some new life into a lector ministry at a parish where most of the lectors have been doing this for five years or more, some for ten years or more.
But how do I get to the point where the lectors WANT to be trained, want to learn to bring a strong spirituality to their ministry? How many lectors actually take steps to grow as lectors? I don't know the answer to either question, but I am open to input.
When I began as a lector in the small parish I grew up in, in small town Colorado, I was told what to do (when the stand, when to bow, when to read), but I was given no formation training. All the person who trained me cared about was the mechanics. I actually remember thinking, "she sure wants to get through this fast. It must be a burden to her, to have to train me." That is an attitude I do not have when training lectors. I sure hope I don't come off that way, at least.
I began public speaking in high school and have carried it out into my 40s. I was a high school and collegiate debater and love talking (ask any of my relatives!). I see my gifts for public speaking, for being comfortable speaking to crowds, and for being a Word Nerd (Thank you, Koni, for that moniker) as gifts from God that need to be put to good use. One of the main ways I put these gifts to use is by being a lector. And I love it!
When I talk to lectors, I see that most of them have similar feelings, even going so far on occasion to say that their being a lector in their parish is a "calling" from God to serve their liturgical community through the proclamation of the Word of God.
I pray nightly now that I may be used by God as His instrument to use the talents and gifts He has provided me to make myself a better leader, make myself a better lector, and help other lectors make themselves better. Now I just need to formulate a plan for doing so.
But how do I get to the point where the lectors WANT to be trained, want to learn to bring a strong spirituality to their ministry? How many lectors actually take steps to grow as lectors? I don't know the answer to either question, but I am open to input.
When I began as a lector in the small parish I grew up in, in small town Colorado, I was told what to do (when the stand, when to bow, when to read), but I was given no formation training. All the person who trained me cared about was the mechanics. I actually remember thinking, "she sure wants to get through this fast. It must be a burden to her, to have to train me." That is an attitude I do not have when training lectors. I sure hope I don't come off that way, at least.
I began public speaking in high school and have carried it out into my 40s. I was a high school and collegiate debater and love talking (ask any of my relatives!). I see my gifts for public speaking, for being comfortable speaking to crowds, and for being a Word Nerd (Thank you, Koni, for that moniker) as gifts from God that need to be put to good use. One of the main ways I put these gifts to use is by being a lector. And I love it!
When I talk to lectors, I see that most of them have similar feelings, even going so far on occasion to say that their being a lector in their parish is a "calling" from God to serve their liturgical community through the proclamation of the Word of God.
I pray nightly now that I may be used by God as His instrument to use the talents and gifts He has provided me to make myself a better leader, make myself a better lector, and help other lectors make themselves better. Now I just need to formulate a plan for doing so.
Monday, June 18, 2012
Lectors Love Being Lectors
Our parish has had the same four people reading at the five weekly daily Masses for over a decade now. I was tasked with fining other lectors to supplement this small pool. And I did! I was hoping to find one or two more, but I found four more morning Mass lectors (Mon, Tue, Thur, Fri) and three more Wednesday evening Mass lectors. What a find! I had hoped for one or two, but I never though there was so much interest. When you open up the opportunities for lectors, those who really love our ministry step up and step into the role of daily Mass lector. And none of the new ones seem to be about either reading every other week (for mornings) or every four weeks (for Wednesdays).
I am surprised that other lectors seem to have the same "feeling" I do about being a lector. It isn't just something we do to help out, it is a ministry, a ministry of proclaiming God's Word to his People. It isn't just reading, it is being a conduit, a tool for God. And we just love doing what we are doing.
I am surprised that other lectors seem to have the same "feeling" I do about being a lector. It isn't just something we do to help out, it is a ministry, a ministry of proclaiming God's Word to his People. It isn't just reading, it is being a conduit, a tool for God. And we just love doing what we are doing.
Thursday, June 14, 2012
Fellowship for Lectors, One Relationship At a Time
I have been the lector coordinator at my parish for about 60 hours now. Yes, just over two days. Already, I have learned that not everyone is addicted to email as I, so I'm going to have to pick up the phone tomorrow and this weekend and call those lectors who haven't responded to my call for verification of email, phone number, etc.
But today, at daily Mass, we had what I am calling the first success in this new ministry of mine. Thanks to the Lord, we now have two groups of lectors for daily Masses. There was some resistance at first, and it may not all be gone, but the new daily Mass lectors are now part of a buddy system.
As a lector for 25 years myself, the only part of the ministry that has always bothered me is that it is typically a loner ministry. What I mean is that I read my reading on the day scheduled and have little if any interaction with other lectors. But that has changed at St. Rose of Lima Catholic Church in Milton, Florida, at least a little.
The parish has had one set of four lectors for over a decade, who together read the readings at all daily Masses. Now we have two sets, in Group A and Group B. The groups alternate weeks. But if you miss a day, for whatever reason, then your "buddy," the person who reads the same day as you but is in the other group, takes your place. And on solemnities (like tomorrow's Solemnity of the Sacred Heart of Jesus), you both read together. What I saw today was readers for the same day, including myself, pair up with their "buddy" and exchange contact information and get to know each other. So there is fellowship, even if it is just a little, at our parish among some of the lectors.
But today, at daily Mass, we had what I am calling the first success in this new ministry of mine. Thanks to the Lord, we now have two groups of lectors for daily Masses. There was some resistance at first, and it may not all be gone, but the new daily Mass lectors are now part of a buddy system.
As a lector for 25 years myself, the only part of the ministry that has always bothered me is that it is typically a loner ministry. What I mean is that I read my reading on the day scheduled and have little if any interaction with other lectors. But that has changed at St. Rose of Lima Catholic Church in Milton, Florida, at least a little.
The parish has had one set of four lectors for over a decade, who together read the readings at all daily Masses. Now we have two sets, in Group A and Group B. The groups alternate weeks. But if you miss a day, for whatever reason, then your "buddy," the person who reads the same day as you but is in the other group, takes your place. And on solemnities (like tomorrow's Solemnity of the Sacred Heart of Jesus), you both read together. What I saw today was readers for the same day, including myself, pair up with their "buddy" and exchange contact information and get to know each other. So there is fellowship, even if it is just a little, at our parish among some of the lectors.
Tuesday, June 12, 2012
First Post
As a former educator and a current author and editor, I always like the idea of sharing bits of myself and my experiences with others. In no way do I claim to be an expert at being a Catholic lector. Nor do I have any illusion that I am even close to perfect in this regard. But I was a high school and collegiate debater and a pretty good public speaker for many years. I have studied, as have other lectors, the many writings on becoming better lectors and I want to share some insights into this ministry that has a long history in the Catholic Church.
To that end, this blog will not be a place to complain or present/discuss controversy. Instead, it will be a place to muse on the beauty that is the Roman Catholic liturgy and our place in that liturgy as lectors, lay people called by God to proclaim His Word to the people in the pews.
Please come and join me in my new role as lector coordinator in my parish, with all the missteps I am sure I will make along this new path. My journey as both a Catholic and a Catholic lector continues down this road we call my life. Travel with me.
I will be presenting reflections on liturgical documents about lectors, the Lectionary, and the Liturgy of the Word. I will discuss the lectors who became and are saints in the Catholic Church. I will comment on writings by others (on the web) about being a lector.
Lectors are part of a 2000 year tradition that started with Jesus, Our Lord, reading in the synagogue from the Book of Isaiah. I only wish to add my two cents worth to the two millennia of dialog on this subject.
To that end, this blog will not be a place to complain or present/discuss controversy. Instead, it will be a place to muse on the beauty that is the Roman Catholic liturgy and our place in that liturgy as lectors, lay people called by God to proclaim His Word to the people in the pews.
Please come and join me in my new role as lector coordinator in my parish, with all the missteps I am sure I will make along this new path. My journey as both a Catholic and a Catholic lector continues down this road we call my life. Travel with me.
I will be presenting reflections on liturgical documents about lectors, the Lectionary, and the Liturgy of the Word. I will discuss the lectors who became and are saints in the Catholic Church. I will comment on writings by others (on the web) about being a lector.
Lectors are part of a 2000 year tradition that started with Jesus, Our Lord, reading in the synagogue from the Book of Isaiah. I only wish to add my two cents worth to the two millennia of dialog on this subject.
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)